Conservation Programme

Our conservation programme is based in the beautiful coastal region of Sainte Luce, surrounded by extremely rare and threatened fragments of littoral (coastal) forest. You will combine hands-on conservation fieldwork on endangered species including lemurs, reptiles and amphibians, with community initiatives and environmental education.

At a glance

The southern littoral forest in Sainte Luce is one of only three significant areas of this forest type remaining in Madagascar, having been reduced by over 90%. As the forest has both high biodiversity and a heavily reliant local population, we work to combine scientific research with community conservation to build knowledge and capacity in the area.

Currently, our research focuses on biodiversity, collecting data about species present, their distribution, density, behaviour and habitats. The data is used to better manage the forests, support the local community and protect the species concerned. Volunteers also run regular environmental education classes for local children.

Publications

"It's an amazing feeling when you shine your headtorch into the depths of the forest and spot a pair of golden eyes belonging to a curious woolly lemur staring back at you. The nature of the work means that you are always really close to the wildlife you are studying and so you can really appreciate the biodiversity that Madagascar has to offer. You get to know the subtle differences between the many different species of frogs, geckos or snakes and you end up learning a lot about the littoral forest ecosystem."